Hi all google has landed me here as I see lots of informative threads regarding the Prado suspension. Hoping people can help with some advice. I have just bought a 2010 VX with just under 100 000 on the clock. The problem is the ride seems way too harsh. A friend recommended I get a Prado as a replacement for the Ford Territory that we killed over nearly 6 years. We live fairly remotely so each trip in this new car is a long one with our shortest trip out being around 400km. The first 120 km consists of 100 km of gravel. Then bitumen after this.
As I stated the ride seems very harsh compared both with the old Territory and also compared to other Prados. The friend that recommended a Prado also delivered the car to me about 1100 km from here. He has had a number of 150s as work cars and has 120s as his personal cars. He was dropped at the dealer to pick up the VX in a 2014 GXL. He says he didn't get far before pulling over to see whether something was wrong as it was so harsh. He put it down to the Kdss and thought if that's what it's like I don't want it. Have people noticed a harsher ride compared to standard ?
I know it is supposed to limit body roll and help with wheel travel so not sure if this is the problem or not. The tyres are Goodyear Wranglers. Pressures were around 38 and I dropped them to 30 for a marginal improvement. The problem was probably worse on the bitumen with every bump being felt through the whole car. It got to the point that I could spot bumps in the road that we would feel. The corrugations on the gravel were just as bad with the back end stepping out a few times at around 90kmh. The territory would just glide through about 15kmh faster and sometimes have the traction control light flashing. The only things that felt half ok were the really big holes in the road about the size of a car and 3 or 4 inches deep.
Anyone have any suggestions ? We drove it to Perth nearly 1000km away and around the corner was its twin of unknown year. I was trying to think of a way of getting them to come for a ride to give their opinion without sounding like a serial killer but I could not think of a way of asking. I am currently rather disappointed as almost everything you read about these comments on their boat like handling, I have more of a billy kart.
As I stated the ride seems very harsh compared both with the old Territory and also compared to other Prados. The friend that recommended a Prado also delivered the car to me about 1100 km from here. He has had a number of 150s as work cars and has 120s as his personal cars. He was dropped at the dealer to pick up the VX in a 2014 GXL. He says he didn't get far before pulling over to see whether something was wrong as it was so harsh. He put it down to the Kdss and thought if that's what it's like I don't want it. Have people noticed a harsher ride compared to standard ?
I know it is supposed to limit body roll and help with wheel travel so not sure if this is the problem or not. The tyres are Goodyear Wranglers. Pressures were around 38 and I dropped them to 30 for a marginal improvement. The problem was probably worse on the bitumen with every bump being felt through the whole car. It got to the point that I could spot bumps in the road that we would feel. The corrugations on the gravel were just as bad with the back end stepping out a few times at around 90kmh. The territory would just glide through about 15kmh faster and sometimes have the traction control light flashing. The only things that felt half ok were the really big holes in the road about the size of a car and 3 or 4 inches deep.
Anyone have any suggestions ? We drove it to Perth nearly 1000km away and around the corner was its twin of unknown year. I was trying to think of a way of getting them to come for a ride to give their opinion without sounding like a serial killer but I could not think of a way of asking. I am currently rather disappointed as almost everything you read about these comments on their boat like handling, I have more of a billy kart.
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